Gawadar Port–Musharraf’s invaluable Gift to future generation

” Analysts term Gawadar Port as Indian Nightmare. They are right because it has strategic importance for Pakistan’s defense and economy. It will generate economic activity at such a massive scale that may transform the life-style of a common man. It is also symbol of Pakistan-China long lasting friendship. Many Chinese Engineers lost their lives as a result of terrorist activities on the behest of Indian Intelligence Agency RAW. This project, however, continued unhampered. The following report by Rauf Klasra in The News ( April 30, 2008 ) against President Perevez Musharraf has underpinning against Gawadar Port. No doubt this report has many factual inaccuracies. Rebutting them is not important for me. The most important question is:

Has he done it unintentionally or there is some hidden hand behind it? Recurrence of reports on same theme would be sufficient to transpire. Patriotic Pakistanis have to be watchful” Pakfirst

‘Gwadar factor’ behind wheat crisis!

RaufKlasra

ISLAMABAD: President Pervez Musharraf’s desire to see the imported foreign wheat land thousands of miles away at the Gwadar Port is said to have greatly contributed to the flour crisis in the country as it delayed transportation of the multi-million dollar consignment from the remote area of Balochistan to the wheat shortage areas of the Punjab and other parts of the country.
The new port still lacks the required facilities to swiftly unload the consignment, as the ship was docked at a considerable distance from the port, which not only caused delay but also increased the cost of transportation.

Top-level sources claimed that 80,000 tonnes of wheat was imj ported through Gwadar on President Musharraf’s instructions to see how effective it would be to use the port for regular import of commodities.
Sources said another reason behind the import of wheat through Gwadar was that the wheat import was costing $10 less per tonne as compared to Karachi. But, sources said, this adventure cost heavily as when the wheat reached the port, it became a big problem to make immediate arrangements to transport it to the areas hit by wheat shortage.
When contacted by The News, an official of the Agriculture Ministry confirmed that 80,000 tonnes

of wheat was imported through Gwadar on President Musharraf’s instructions that the government must check the arrangements at the port.
However, talking to The News, the president’s spokesman said he had no idea whether or not Musharraf had ever expressed the desire to import wheat through Gwadar Port.
Meanwhile, sources said this was not the first time that President Musharraf had played a role in the export or import of wheat, which led to serious crisis in the country. Previously, Shaukat Aziz had taken a proposal to Musharraf to export 500,000 tonnes of wheat after he gave him fake figures .about wheat production last year. The wheat; production, was .short by two million tonnes but Shaukat Aziz allegedly managed to fudge the figures to show fake growth rate. Having full faith in the “wisdom” and information of his hand-picked prime minister, Musharraf approved the export of wheat. It was exported at very cheap rate of $200 per tonne.
When the caretaker set up was installed, it emerged that the country did not have enough wheat to meet its own requirements. As a result, 1.7 million tonnes of wheat worth Rs60 billion was purchased from the farmers of Russia, Canada and America. The wheat, which was exported at $200 per tonne, was later imported at the rate of $500 per tonne.